What this journey costs
Rs 100,000 to Rs 105,000
- Toyota Fortuner, four-wheel-drive diesel
- Rs 100,000
- Toyota Land Cruiser
- Rs 105,000
Indicative only. The figure we quote for your journey is the one that counts, and once quoted it does not change. What moves a price: the exact addresses at each end, the vehicle the party and luggage actually need, whether the car waits or returns empty, and the motorway toll where one applies.
Hunza is 550 to 650 km from Islamabad depending on which way you go, and between fourteen and twenty hours of driving. Almost nobody does it in one push, and nobody should. The standard arrangement is a car with a driver for several days, splitting the northbound run over two, and that is the shape this page assumes.
There are two roads. The Karakoram Highway, the N-35, runs year round through Mansehra, Besham, Dasu, Chilas and Jaglot to Gilgit and on to Karimabad. The alternative goes Mansehra, Balakot, Naran and over the Babusar Pass to rejoin the KKH at Chilas, and it is shorter, higher and open for only part of the year.
Babusar, and why the date matters
Babusar Pass sits above 13,000 feet. It closes through the winter and reopens when the snowpack allows: for the 2026 season it opened on 25 May, and in a previous year it reopened after a seven-month closure. Practitioner guidance puts the usual window at late May or early June through to around 10 October, but the date moves every year and should be treated as a window rather than a promise. When it is open, the authorities advise daylight travel only and mechanically sound vehicles, because of the sharp turns, the steep sections and the avalanche risk.
If your travel falls anywhere near the edges of that window, plan on the KKH and treat Babusar as an upgrade if conditions allow on the day. A route that depends on a pass being open is not a plan.
The KKH in practice
The Karakoram Highway is open all year as far as Sost, and the standing risk on it is landslides rather than snow. Gilgit-Baltistan is subject to seasonal road closures and the FCDO describes remote-area roads in Pakistan as frequently blocked by landslides. This is not a reason to avoid the journey. It is a reason to travel with a driver who knows the road, to start early, and to build slack into an itinerary rather than booking to the hour.
The usual staging is Islamabad to Chilas or Besham on day one and on to Karimabad on day two, though experienced drivers will adjust that to the conditions and to what you want to see. Fuel is a real consideration on this route: petrol has been Rs 343.10 a litre since the OGRA notification effective 26 August 2026, and a 4×4 on mountain roads returns nothing like motorway consumption. Anyone quoting you a northern trip at a price that looks like a plains price has not done the arithmetic.
What the travel advice says about the KKH
Alongside the landslide risk there is a formal advisory on part of this route, and it is better stated than buried. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises against all travel on the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas, naming Battagram, Besham City, Dasu and Sazin. That is the year-round route described above. Checked against gov.uk on 3 September 2026.
Hunza itself is not restricted. Gilgit-Baltistan does not appear on the FCDO list of places it advises against travelling to, and neither does Hunza or Gilgit. The advisory is about one length of highway, not the valley at the end of it.
This is the second reason the Babusar route matters, beyond being shorter. Rejoining the KKH at Chilas puts you north of the named section, so in the Babusar season there is a way to reach Hunza that avoids it entirely. Outside that season there is not.
None of this is a legal bar, and for Pakistani nationals and residents the KKH is an ordinary road. For a foreign passport holder the practical consequence is insurance: most UK travel policies are void against FCDO advice, which is worth resolving with your insurer before booking. Tell us your dates and we will tell you which road they allow. If we would not run it, we will say so rather than take the booking.
Which vehicle, and why it is not a sedan
For the KKH to Hunza the working choice is a Toyota Fortuner, and specifically the 2.8 litre diesel four-wheel-drive rather than the 2.7 petrol, which is two-wheel-drive. A Land Cruiser is the step up for expedition work, for Deosai, or where comfort over long days is the priority; it returns something in the region of five to ten kilometres per litre, which at current fuel prices is a visible part of the cost. For larger groups a Grand Cabin, sold as thirteen passengers plus a driver, is the practical answer on the paved sections. A hatchback or a small sedan is not suitable for this journey and we will not offer one for it.
Khunjerab, and a common mistake
The Khunjerab Pass on the Chinese border used to close from 1 December to 31 March under the 1985 border agreement. Since 2 December 2024 it has officially been open year round. Both halves of that need saying together, because traders quoted in the same reporting doubted that winter facilities on the Pakistani side match the policy, and at least one 2026 travel guide still describes the Sost to Khunjerab section as closed from November to April. The official position has changed; whether the road is a sensible winter destination is a separate question, and the answer depends on the week.
This is a multi-day booking
Fourteen to twenty hours of driving cannot be done responsibly in one day, and a driver who offers to do it is not the driver you want. Plan two days northbound, a driver who stays with the vehicle throughout, and slack in the itinerary for a landslide or a weather day.
Tell us the journey and we will price it. A submitted request is not a booking until availability, price and terms are confirmed.
The journey in figures
- Distance
- 550 to 650 km depending on the route taken
- Drive time
- 14 to 20 hours, normally split over two days
- Road, all year
- N-35 Karakoram Highway via Besham, Dasu and Chilas
- Road, summer only
- N-15 via Naran and the Babusar Pass
The Babusar Pass sits above 13,000 feet and closes for the winter. It reopened for the 2026 season on 25 May, and the usual window runs from late May or early June to around 10 October, moving every year with the snowpack. Authorities advise daylight travel only. The Karakoram Highway itself stays open year round as far as Sost; landslides, not snow, are the standing risk.
Every way of making this journey
We are one row in this table, and not the cheapest one. Here is what the alternatives actually cost and what each of them asks of you.
| Option | Typical cost | Time | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus, NATCO or Faisal Movers | Rs 4,000 - 10,000 | 16 to 22 h | From Pir Wadhai in Rawalpindi. Wide range across third-party sources. |
| Fly to Gilgit, then drive | — | About 1 h in the air | Gilgit flights are weather-dependent in the same way Skardu flights are. |
| inDrive City to City, to Gilgit | Rs 8,800 | About 12 h | Gilgit only. There is no published Hunza route. |
| iDrive.pk, car with a driver | Rs 100,000 to Rs 105,000 | — | A fixed price once quoted, a vetted driver whose photo and vehicle registration you see before the journey, and a car sized to your party and luggage. Booked before you travel, so it does not depend on having a local SIM when you land. |
Costs for other operators checked on August 31, 2026 and published from their own booking systems, official notices or named third-party sources. Fuel in Pakistan moved from Rs 264.61 a litre in September 2025 to Rs 343.10 by August 2026, so fares here move quickly. Treat these as a guide and confirm with the operator.
Which vehicle actually fits
Seat counts are the manufacturer figures. The passenger and luggage numbers beside them are what the vehicle carries in practice, with the cases people really travel with. If your party is near the limit, tell us the number of bags rather than the number of people, because that is what decides it.
- Suzuki WagonR 3 passengers, 2 cases Short city transfers on a budget. The tall boot helps more than the engine does.
- Toyota Yaris or Corolla 3 to 4 passengers, 2 to 3 large cases The workhorse. City work, airport transfers and the motorway run between Lahore and Islamabad.
- Honda BR-V 5 passengers with luggage, or 7 with almost none Family airport transfers on paved routes. The third row eats the boot, so it suits children or short hops rather than seven adults with cases. Not a mountain vehicle.
- Toyota Fortuner 5 passengers with full luggage, 7 travelling light Rough road and mountain work: Skardu, Hunza, Naran, Babusar. Ask for the diesel four-wheel-drive, because the petrol version is two-wheel-drive.
- Toyota Land Cruiser 4 to 5 passengers with full luggage Protocol and expedition work, and a genuine choice for Skardu and Deosai. It returns 5 to 10 km a litre, which at Rs 343 a litre is the honest reason it costs what it costs.
- Toyota Hiace Grand Cabin 13 passengers plus the driver The group and family vehicle. Gulf arrivals into Sialkot and Peshawar with heavy luggage, tour groups, weddings, long intercity runs.
- Toyota Coaster 25 to 29 passengers with hold luggage Large groups, corporate shuttles and pilgrimage travel. Worth knowing that the motorway toll alone is Rs 3,350 each way against Rs 1,430 for a car.
How booking works
- 01 Tell us the journey Where from, where to, when, how many of you and how much luggage. Precise addresses matter more than you would think, because a Rawalpindi address and an Islamabad address twenty minutes apart are very different journeys.
- 02 We quote a fixed price One figure for the whole journey, with the vehicle class it assumes. If a motorway toll or a waiting period is part of it, you see that too.
- 03 You see the driver and the car Before the journey you get the driver photograph and the vehicle registration, so you know exactly who and what you are looking for.
- 04 You travel At an airport your driver waits inside arrivals with a name sign. Check the photograph and the registration plate against what we sent you before you get in.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a travel advisory on the Karakoram Highway?
Yes, on one section. The FCDO advises against all travel on the KKH between Mansehra and Chilas via Battagram, Besham City, Dasu and Sazin, checked on 3 September 2026. Hunza, Gilgit and Gilgit-Baltistan are not on the FCDO list themselves. In the Babusar season the Naran route rejoins the KKH at Chilas, north of the named section, and avoids it; outside that season it cannot be avoided. Most UK travel insurance is void against FCDO advice.
How long does it take to drive from Islamabad to Hunza?
Between fourteen and twenty hours of driving over 550 to 650 km, depending on the route and conditions. It is normally split over two days.
Which route do you take?
The N-35 Karakoram Highway through Mansehra, Besham, Dasu, Chilas, Jaglot and Gilgit runs all year. The Naran and Babusar route is shorter and higher but only open for part of the year.
When is Babusar Pass open?
Typically late May or early June until around 10 October, but the date moves with the snowpack. It opened on 25 May for the 2026 season. Authorities advise daylight travel only and mechanically sound vehicles when it is open.
Is the Karakoram Highway open in winter?
It is open year round as far as Sost. The standing risk is landslides rather than snow, and Gilgit-Baltistan is subject to seasonal road closures, so an itinerary needs slack in it.
Is Khunjerab Pass open in winter?
Officially yes, since 2 December 2024, replacing the old 1 December to 31 March closure. In practice, winter facilities on the Pakistani side were questioned in the same reporting and at least one 2026 travel guide still treats it as a seasonal road. Ask us about current conditions rather than relying on the policy alone.
What vehicle do you use for Hunza?
A Toyota Fortuner in 2.8 litre diesel four-wheel-drive form is the working choice; the 2.7 petrol version is two-wheel-drive and is not the same vehicle. A Land Cruiser is the step up. For groups on paved sections a Grand Cabin carries thirteen passengers plus the driver. We do not offer small cars for this route.
Does the same driver stay with us for the whole trip?
Yes. Northern trips are quoted as multi-day hire with a driver who stays with the vehicle, because a road like the KKH is not a place to change drivers mid-itinerary.
Where do you stop overnight going up?
Chilas or Besham is the usual first night, with Karimabad on the second day. Your driver will adjust that to conditions and to what you want to see on the way.
How does the bus compare?
NATCO runs from Pir Wadhai terminal in Rawalpindi, and Faisal Movers and Silk Route also serve the north. Third-party sources put Islamabad to Gilgit at Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 over eighteen to twenty hours, or about twelve hours by shared taxi, with Gilgit to Hunza a further two to three hours at Rs 300 to Rs 500. Those are wide ranges from travel sources rather than operator tariffs.
Can we fly to Gilgit and take a car from there?
Yes, and for some itineraries it is the better plan. Gilgit to Karimabad is a short run compared with the full drive. The trade-off is that northern flights are weather-dependent, so the road remains the option that always works.
Can we go on to Khunjerab, Attabad Lake or the Passu Cones?
Yes. These are the usual onward runs from Karimabad and they are best planned as day trips from a base rather than as extensions of the arrival day.
Is the price fixed for a multi-day trip?
Yes, once quoted and accepted, for the itinerary as described, including the driver’s accommodation and duty arrangements. Changes to the itinerary are requoted.
Tell us the journey and we will price it
Send the route, the date, the number of travelling and how many cases you have. You will get one price for the whole journey and the vehicle class it assumes. If we cannot cover it properly we will say so rather than take the booking.